UPDATE: Make that 14 resorts. Mad River Glen announced it will fire up a lift this weekend, as well.
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We're having a great December so far in Vermont, thanks to Mother Nature. This weekend Bolton Valley, Middlebury Snow Bowl and Pico Mountain will open — joining 10 other ski resorts in Vermont that are already running their lifts. (See our updated blog post here for exact opening dates.)
Mad River Glen, which relies heavily on natural snow, is still in wait-and-see mode. They...[Read more]

We should reach a total of 14 open ski resorts in Vermont this weekend. Bolton Valley and Middlebury Snow Bowl open today (Friday) and Pico opens to passholders today. Pico's public opening is Saturday and they have a good ticket deal this weekend. (See our Vermont ticket deals list.)
Burke Mountain opens Saturday, and Magic Mountain hopes to do the same if they can lay down enough snowmaking.
As for the natural-snow-dependent Mad River Glen,...[Read more]

As a skier or rider, it’s good to know about the changes you can expect at Vermont ski resorts this winter. Here’s a look at on-mountain improvements that have been announced at northern and central Vermont ski resorts for 2013 - 2014. An upcoming post will cover southern Vermont ski areas.
Bolton Valley Resort
Bolton Valley is replacing 6,000 feet of snowmaking pipe. They are also updating one-third of the ski and snowboard rental fleet with new equipment. In the base lodge, look for a...[Read more]

Well, elevation means everything this week in Vermont. While many towns and villages and base lodge areas have seen rain and sleet, there's been a mix of snow, sleet and rain up higher on the mountains.
Yesterday morning 2 to 5 inches of new snow were being reported at many Vermont ski areas. And this morning a couple more inches were being reported at the tops of some peaks. Middlebury Snow Bowl, Sugarbush, Stowe, Jay, Bolton, Burke and Killington were among those reporting snowflakes this...[Read more]

Today was a day to get out into the sunshine! Clear blue skies beckoned to me and I decided to head over to opening day at Bolton Valley Resort.
Bolton had its Vista Quad and Mid-Mountain chair serving essentially one long run from the top of the mountain. The path followed Sherman's Pass to Bear Run. At the very top you had a choice of Hard Luck Lane, Sherman's Pass or Spillway Lane to get started. Down in the base area, the Mitey Mite lift was running for...[Read more]

Have you seen our list of Vermont lift ticket deals? If you are heading to the slopes in the next few days (and you really should), you may want to check it out. You can find a deal as low as $15 during the midweek days leading up to Christmas!
We can now welcome Burke Mountain, Cochran's, Middlebury Snow Bowl, Pico Mountain, Suicide Six and Magic Mountain to the list of Vermont's ski areas that are open for business. So many choices. Mad River Glen is still looking for a bit more of a base on...[Read more]

<<FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE 2012-2012 SEASON PASS DEAL DEADLINE POST!>>
Updated 9/1/2010
It’s inching closer to Labor Day, school time and the colors of fall — and it’s time to think about season pass discounts!
Here are important deadlines to keep in mind while you decide what Vermont ski resorts you might ski this winter, and whether a season pass is a good deal for you. (Do the math!) The earliest discount deadlines are between August 30 and Labor Day!
Some resorts are...[Read more]

What a great weekend it was to be a skier in Vermont!
Knowing that this weekend was going to be sunny and warm with good driving conditions, I schemed up a plan to ski at two areas that were new to me: the Middlebury Snow Bowl and the Rikert Ski Touring Center.
Have you heard of the Middlebury Snow Bowl? I knew it was small and owned by the college, which has a strong skiing program, but other than that I was not sure what to expect.
Turns out it was a bunch of fun and wasn't even...[Read more]

Just received these shots of the new Doppelmayr CTEC fixed-grip triple chair going in at Middlebury Snow Bowl. It's the only new chairlift project in Vermont this season.
The lift replaces the 40-year-old Worth Mountain chair, which was a double chair, at a cost of about $1.7 million. The old chair either had to be refurbished or replaced—and Middlebury College decided to invest in a replacement lift.
Thanks to the crew at the Snow Bowl for sharing these images![Read more]

<<FOLLOW THIS LINK TO SEE 2018-2019 OPENING DATES!>>
I received a list of Vermont ski resort opening dates in my email, as reported by Ski Vermont. Of course, these may change, depending on the weather.
As you may know, Colorado's Loveland Ski Area was the first to open in the country. They loaded their lifts with skiers for the first time on Wednesday, October 7. (Can you believe it?) It was their earliest opening in 40 years. We're closing in on the 2009/2010 ski season,...[Read more]

We skiers have got it made, don’t you think? During the summer months while we are hitting the beach, having BBQs or enjoying the cool comfort of air conditioning, the crews at Vermont ski resorts are using some elbow grease to prepare for the coming ski season.
Two smaller Vermont ski areas are adding lifts this year: Middlebury Snow Bowl and Northeast Slopes. Both ski areas have been in operation for more than 70 years. It’s wonderful that they have the means to continue to upgrade their...[Read more]